Railroad spike

The Mississippi National River and Recreation Area represents the confluence of ancient cultural traditions and modern transportation. The Mississippi River served as a significant means of conveying goods and people for thousands of years, and by the mid-1800s this popularity drew the railroad to the river's banks. While the railroad and the automobile quickly diminished the historical reliance on waterways for transportation, this railroad spike found in the Mississippi National River and Recreation Area corridor reminds us of the river's role in shaping our nation.